Well, thanks for the thanks for being long-winded, folks!
And FYI, sarah got to fulfill her promise of a reward for my having reached the goal of 600 posts. She got something beyond 600 licks (I quit counting after having reached the plateau). The honors were delivered with a variety of worthy instruments, ranging from large and medium sized leather products to a sorority paddle, a CB paddle, and, of course, my hand. Maybe that's why she downed 4 Cosmopolitans last night, for the pain relief effects.